As your Sheriff, MY MISSION is to improve public safety services to you, the citizens and taxpayers of Citrus County, while reducing operating costs and eliminating wasteful spending. The eight steps below illustrate how I can achieve these goals through sound law enforcement practices, and responsible budgeting and fiscal management.

Fiscal Accountability – Openness in Budgeting

• Create an open budget development and review process
• Establish a Citrus County Citizen’s Budget Review Committee

Fiscal Responsibility – Effectiveness in Spending

• Eliminate wasteful spending such as take home cars for non-sworn personnel
• Reduce operational/management costs, including reducing the salary of the Sheriff

Accountability to Citizens and Employees – Effective Planning and Due Process

• Establish a fair and open employee disciplinary process designed to eliminate bias
• Implement a Citizen’s Disciplinary Review Board
• I Will not accept campaign contributions from Sheriff’s Office Employees

Help Our Deputies Succeed – Provide Effective Tools for Law Enforcement

• Improve training for line deputies
• Restructure the obstacle course for safe and effective physical training
• Upgrade automation in vehicles to streamline report writing: to cut costs, save time, and improve safety

Reduce DUI & Fatal Crashes – Develop Effective Prevention & Enforcement Methods

• Leverage savings to improve traffic safety
• Participate in statewide campaigns addressing DUI, and hazardous violations

Drug Enforcement - Enforcement and Interdiction

• Form State and Local Drug Task Force with our surrounding counties to target drug trafficking
• Apply savings and efficiencies to increase law enforcement presence in drug areas and our schools

Community Policing and Intelligence Led Policing – Proactive Interaction

• Department wide approach, use increased patrol time to improve presence in communities
• Work with community groups to address homelessness in Citrus County
• Open the Fire Arms Range to citizens on monthly basis to improve firearm safety

Marine Safety – Monitor County Waterways

• Direct a portion of our savings to improve marine safety
• Increase the number of sworn deputies and volunteers patrolling all county waterways.
• Establish Community Marine Safety team

Visit Burch For Sheriff on Facebook for more information. Together we can save money, improve safety and increase community responsiveness.

Thank you,
Chief Steven Burch (Ret), MBA
Former Police Chief, Crystal River, FL (2004-2008)